Mail-bag catching and delivery apparatus.



PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

J.'S. KAUPPMAN.

MAIL BAG GATGHING AND DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PAI 'ENTED JULY 24, 1906.

' J. s. KAUPFMAN. MAIL BAG GATOHING AND DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 11, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

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, UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE. I,

JESSE S. KAUFFMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAliL-B-AG CAT GH'ING A-ND DELIVERY APPARATUS- S peeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 11. 1906. Serial No. 311,058.

Patented J u'ly 24 1906.

delivery of mail-bags from the station to the mail-car and from the mail-car .to the station, and is designed to produce a paratus tor the purpose described that shal be .simple construction, certain in its voperation, which cannot he readily broken, and which can be used between two tracks to operate with anar passing inieither directionon --either track.

To illustrate my invention, I annex hereto two sheets of drawings, in which the same areference characters are used to designate identical :parts :all the figures, of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the com- ;plete apparatus, showing the relative positions of the parts just prior to the delivery of I ithe bags to the car and to the delivery of ihags from the car to the station. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus in the car, but with it turned down at right angles to the position shown in Fig. -1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line A A of Fig. 2 and showing the upper end of the station-standwardthe distance. Fig. 4 is ,a vertical sec- .tion through the top of the station-standard in the direction of the track. Fig. 5 is a similar view through the bottom of the sta- -:tion.standard a direction at right angles tothe track. Fig. ,6 isa section, on enlarged :scale, on the :line'B B of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a @detail insectionion the lineC C of Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the bag-holding niernber.

vLn-carrying out rnyinvention 'Iprovide forv use both in connection with the delivery of the bags to .and from the car :a hag-holding -menaber. :(Best shown in Fig. 8, where it will he seento consist of the :body portion 10, which is neiierably a casting which is pro- .videdwit the two diverging ears 11 and the loop pontion l2 and theshank 1.3..) A loop 14 is may Ways be vin the open positionshown passes through the diverging ears 11 and provided, and in order that this loop' a -15 also passes through the aperture in the loop '12 and is preferably provided with the snap hook 1-6 and ring 17,, by means of-which the 1- or strap 15 can -be =readily passed throug i h the loop or handle '18 the mail .bag 19. As it is essential that the loop 14 stand in a vertical position, the shank 13 is of somewhat angular shape in cross-section, preferably square, so as to ifit the sockets and hold the loop trom turning.

The car will be provided with the .cus-

tomary rock shaft :21, passing across the door and journaled the bearings 22., and this rock-shaft has rigid-1y secured theneon the customary hook 23 01 tak'in the hag from the station-standandand the; and1e24 for rocking it into position. In [addition to theseelernents it carries :thexarm 25, which is provided with the shank-holding 2.6, which has the :apertume :27 therein, as indicated-in dotted lines in Fig. 2., which is gen- ,erally square in cross-seotionto correspond to the shape of the cross-section of the shank 13, except that atone-side thereon and on the outer portion it is flared out, as indicated.

The shank 13 is inserted-in this aperture .27,

so that the loop 14 will be vertical, as shown 'in Fig. 1 and it is held against zaccidenta'lzdisplacement by the latch 28, which 'is ,pimoited at 2.9 to the outer endof the arm 25 and has the helically-ooiled expanding-spring .39 :interposedbetween the arm 25 and the other endof the latch to hold it yieldingly position. The latching end catches over the em gaging surface 31 on the body 10 of the bagoarryin member and holds it against accidental- -'splaoernent. When the :loop is engagedbythe station-standard, as to beihereinatter explained, the pressure releases the latch 28,, and the shank of the hagwholding member is drawn outoi theapertureZTfihe flaring side being, asseen,placedinthe upper direction, so that it allows the shanklto turn as it is beingidr'awn out of the aperture,

Upon the station-platform 32'is located the --station-standard 36, which :is preferably located equidistant between {a pair \of tracks, so thatit can oooperate with mail-trains passing in either direction on either track. ,A ,pairofbase-pieces 33 are em; loyed-which are bolted or otherwise secured to the stationplatforrn and which have the oylindricalhearing-flanges 34, projecting inwardly from the adjacent faces and furnishing a support for the bearingoylinder 101' sleeve 35,, whichis IIO substantially "reshaped and which has the of the bags of mail from the car.

standard proper, 36, screwed into or otherwise secured to the vertical member 37. The bolt 38 is preferably employed to hold the two base-pieces 33 together and a pair of helically-coiled torsional springs 39 have one end secured to the base-pieces 38, as shown, and the other ends are secured to the web 40, cast or otherwise secured in the center of the cylinder. will be to permit the standard 36 to swing about the bolt 38 as a center, thus permitting it to yield as much as may be necessary under the impact caused by the delivery thereto car has passed the force of the springs will return the standard to its vertical position after the bags are removed therefrom if they do not have suflicient strength to carry it to vertical position with the bags in place. The upper end of the standard is provided with the pair of hook-shaped arms 41, which extend horizontally along the line of the track so. as to engage with and secure the loops 14 of the bag-holding member supporting the bags to be delivered irrespective of the direction of the movement of the train. The shank of the bag-holding member for the bags to be delivered to the car is supported in a correspondingly-shaped recess 42, extending through the head 43 of the bolt 44, which is journaled in the bearing formed in the body 45 of the member carrying the hooks 41, and

which is held yieldingly in its normal position with the aperture 42 at right angles to the line of the tracks by the helically-coiled torsion-spring 46, which is secured at one end to the bottom of the bolt or rod 44 and at the other end to the body 45. The operation of this portion of the apparatus will be readily apparent, as with the bag-holdin member in position, as shown in Fig. 1, the 00k 23 will engage the loop 14 and draw the shank 13 out of the aperture 42, the head 43 turning as much during the movement as is necessary to permit it to be freely withdrawn.

The operation of the complete apparatus in both the delivery of the mail to and from the car will be very apparent, and it will be likewise apparent that I have produced a smile and efficient structure that cannot rea ily be broken or get out of order in ordinary usa e. .WhileIl have shown and described my invention as embodied in the form which I at present consider best adapted to carry out the purposes, itwill be understood that it is The action of these torsional springs After the gaging member, the cable passed through the diverging eyes to form a loop always held open, and means carried by said body for engaging and supportin a mail-bag.

2. In a device of the class described, the bag-holding member consisting of the body having the diverging eyes and the shank angular in cross-section adapted to engage a similarly-shaped recess in a supporting member, the cable passed through the diverging eyes to form a loop always held open, and means carried by the body for engaging and supporting a mail-bag.

3. In a device of the class described, the bag-holding member consisting of the body having the diverging eyes and the elongated slot therein and a support-engaging member, the cable passing through the slot and the diverging eyes to form a loop always held open, and means carried by the body and passing through the slot for engaging and supporting a mail-bag.

4. In a device of the-class described, the

bag-holding member angular in cross-section and provided with a loop adapted to be held at a certain angle to be engaged by a hook and means for supporting a bag, of the support for the bag-holding member correspondingly angular in cross-section, for the purpose described. 5. In a device of the class described, th combination with the supporting member having the aperture with one side thereof flaring, of the spring-detent opposed to said aperture and adapted to yield in the direction of the flaring side, and the bag-holding member having a shank adapted to fit in the aperture and a portion engaged by the detent, and a member by which the bag-holding member is caught.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with the supporting member having the aperture angular in cross-section with one side flaring, of the spring-detent opposed to said aperture and adapted to yield in the direction of the flaring side, the bagholding member having the loop and the shank angular in'cross-section adapted to fit in the aperture and a portion engaged by the detent, and a member by which the loop is caught.

7. In a device of the class described, the

combination with the supporting member fit in the aperture and a portion engaged by the detent, and a member by which the loop is cau ht.

8. n a device of theclassdescribed, the combination with the vertical standard carrying mechanism to support and catch the bags, and adapted to swing in a vertical plane, of means for holding it yieldingly in and returning it to its vertical position.

9. In a device of the, class described, the combination with thevertical standard carrying mechanism to support and catch the bags, and adapted to swing in a vertical plane, of the springs for holding it yieldingly in and returning it to its vertical position.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with the vertical standard carrying mechanism to support and catch the bags and pivoted near the bottom thereof to swing through an angle in the direction of the tracks, of the opposed torsion-springs for holding the standard yieldingly in and returning it to its vertical position.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with the base-pieces, of the T- shaped cylinder j ournaled between said basepieces, the standard carrying mechanism to support and catch the bags carried by the cylinder, and the torsion-springs within said cylinder to hold it yieldingly in and returning it to its vertical position.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with the bag-holding member having the shank 13, of a-standard having the head adapted to hold said shank horizontally, and means for holding the head yieldingly in a certain position from which it may be swung in a horizontal plane as the bagholding member is engaged by the hook on the car.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with the bag-holding member having the shank 13, of the standard having the head adapted to hold said shank horizontally, and a spring for holding the head yieldingly in a certain position from which it ma be swung horizontally as the bag-holding member is engaged by the hook on the car.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bag-holding member having the shank 13, of the vertical standard, means for holding said standard yieldingly in and returning it to its normal position, the head of said standard adapted to hold said shank horizontally, and means for holding the head yieldingly in a certain position from which it may be swung horizontally as the bag-holding member is disengaged therefrom.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination with the vertical standard pivoted near the lower end thereof, of the springs for holding it yieldingly in its vertical position, the shank-holding head j ournaled in the top of the standard, and the spring for holding the head yieldingly in a certain position from which it may be swung as the bag is disengaged.

16. In a device of the class described, the combination with the vertical standard, of means for holding it yieldingly in its vertical position so that it can swing in either direction along the line of the track, and the hooks supported at the top of the standard extending in both directions.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed my seal this 7th day of April, 1906.

JESSE S. KAUFFMAN. L. s.]

In presence of- JOHN H. MOELROY E. K. MANCHESTER. 

